Ball whirling device



y 15, 1959 M. E. SHERWOOD 3,455,552

am. wnmuue oEvIcE Filed Aug. 27, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. MARVIN E SHERWOOD WWII/42%;;

A TTYJZ y 15, 1959 M. E. SHERWOOD 3,455,552

BALL WHIRLING DEVICE Filed Aug. 27, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

MARVIN E SHERWOOD MgQ/MM United States Patent 3,455,552 BALL WHIRLING DEVICE Marvin E. Sherwood, 3527 W. Wellesley, Spokane, Wash. 99207 Filed Aug. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 483,076 Int. Cl. A63b 69/00 US. Cl. 273-26 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a novel apparatus for whirling a ball about a substantially upright axis. It is designed to provide a moving 'ball target for training youngsters in batting a baseball or softball.

This invention provides a simple mechanical device for whirling a ball so that a youngster standing adjacent to the device can practice batting the ball with a conventional baseball or softball bat. The ball is attached to a flexible rope, so that, when hit, it is controlled in its flight and need not be retrieved.

A first object of this invention is to provide such a device that is uniquely simple, involving a bare minimum of support and allowing rather complete freedom of operation by one controlling the ball movement.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a device that can be set up at any desired location and which can be manipulated with little or no skill.

These and further objects will be evident from the following disclosure, taken together with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred form of the invention. It is to be understood that this form of the invention is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined in the claim that follows.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view of a device embodying my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the device shown in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view through the lower portion of the device as seen along the line 3-3 in FIGURE 2.

Referring to the three figures of the drawings, there is illustrated a rigid supporting pole having a circular cross section and of such a diameter that it can be grasped within ones hand. The height of the pole is not critical except that it should be taller than the person who is to control the ball movement. At the top of the pole is a rigid arm 12, rotatably journalled at 11 about the axis of pole 10. A suitable sleeve 13 of bearing material, such as nylon, is preferably mounted between the pole 10 and the' pivotal connection 11 for arm 12. Attached to the Patented July 15, 1969 outer end of arm 12 at 14 is a flexible length of rope 15 having a ball 16 connected to its outer end. The length of rope 15 is such that the ball 16, when rotated by action of pole 10, will travel at a height above the ground surface suitable for batting Practice. Such height is normally between the knees and shoulders of the batter. The ball 16 can be any type of ball, typically a softball or baseball.

Pole 10 is supported by a base generally designated by the numeral 17. Base 17 includes a lower socket member 18 having a central aperture 19 adapted to loosely receive the lower end of pole 10 for free pivotal motion in any angular direction. The socket member 18 as illus trated is simply a circular sheet of metal with the sides folded to produce a triangular upper configuration and punched to produce the central aperture 19 and corner apertures for reception of the supporting legs.

As illustrated, three supporting leg members are used in the construction of base 17. These leg members 20' have their upper ends connected to an enlarged ring 21 and converge downwardly toward the socket member 18. Each leg 20 flares radially outward below socket member 18 to produce a wide supporting pedestal.

The manner by which the legs 20 are connected to ring 21 and socket member 18 is not critical, although the connection should preferably be releasable so that the device can be shipped in a fiat condition by separating legs 20 from the socket member 18 and ring 21.

In operation, one controlling the motion of ball 16 merely grasps pole 10 above the ring 21 and rotates the pole at this point about a small axis limited by the size of ring 21. This slight rotational movement at the center of pole 10 is enlarged at its upper end and transmitted through arm 12 and rope 15 to the ball 16. Naturally, as the speed of rotation increases, the height of the ball 16 will increase, so that the operator has control of the ball position to better assist one in batting practice. Th movement of the ball is illustrated in FIGURE 2, the direction of rotation of the device being shown by arrow 22.

Various modifications might be made in this precise structure while utilizing the basic arrangement of a restrictive lower socket and enlarged upper ring for support and limitation of the rotational movement. For this reason, only the following claim is set out as a definition of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A device for horizontally whirling a ball, comprising:

an upright pole;

a horizontal stationary base formed of planar material having an upwardly open vertical socket formed therethrough along a vertical axis for pivotally receiving the lower end of said pole, the configuration of the socket being complementary to the crosssection configuration of the lower end of said pole, and an enlarged horizontal ring positioned coaxially with respect to said socket at a location spaced vertically above said socket, the inner configuration of said ring in a horizontal plane being a single continuous circle with said socket;

3 4- three or more leg members centered and spaced equi- References Cited angularly about thfi socket axis, each detachably fixed at its upper end to said ring, said leg members being releasably attached to the socket intermediate 2,134,328 10/1938 Dlckson 27326 their respective ends and being bent radially outward 5 2,199,461 5/1940 Jones below said socket to form a ground engaging 2643'126 6/1953 Kelly X pedestal; 2,751,226 6/ 1956 Conway 273-26 a flexible ball support rotatably mounted at the top end of said pole for rotation about the pole longi- ANTON OECHSLE Primary Exammer tudinal axis; said ball support protruding radially 10 M. R. PAGE, Assistant Examiner outward from said pole; and a ball attached to the outer end of said ball' U.S. Cl. X.R. support. 27395 

